Herbs
by Aeryn Phoenix
Summary: NWN2: A very, very silly Casavir three part ficlet, inspired by a random idea to drug our beloved Paladin in order to loosen him up...COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own NWN2, it's characters, plots, places, etc and so forth... 

I warn you, this is a very silly little something that just attacked me one day and wouldn't go away until I wrote it down. Reviews are always welcome.

Warning for mild language and moderate sexual innuendoes.

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_**Location: Crossroad Keep, Library** _

"And you're sure this will do the trick?" The young, blonde human wrinkled her nose dubiously at the smallish packet of herbs in her hand.

Sand sighed heavily, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he thought, _I just simply **must** thank Nevalle for convincing me that it was in my best interest to remain with this band of half-wits. I mean, truly, what **would** I do with myself if I couldn't play "matchmaker to the clueless" as the world around us goes straight to the hells?_ Plastering on an entirely false smile that he reserved only for customers that smelled bad, or lawyers from Luskan, Sand reassured her, "Yes, dear girl, I am certain. Just add one scoop of that mixture to the Paladin's drink and he'll be pawing all over you in no time." He just managed to resist the urge to shudder at the rather graphic images those words conjured up in his mind.

They seemed to have the entirely opposite effect on the young Knight-Captain as she clapped her hands gleefully, squealing like a child as she skipped out of the library, calling out, "Thanks, Sand!" over her shoulder.

Shaking his head in disgust, Sand thought, _I should have just said no. This will not end well._

_**Location: Crossroad Keep, Inn** _

"Do you mind if I join you, Casavir?"

The Knight-Captain's blue eyes sparkled as the Paladin rose gallantly from his seat, gesturing grandly at the chair across from him. "It would be a pleasure, my lady," he said in his usual placid, formal tone. _I'm going to get you to lighten up if it kills us both,_ she thought as she smiled and took a seat.

As he sat back down, she leaned over the table and peered distastefully into the mug he was drinking from. "How can you palate that vile ale?" she asked. "It tastes like Grobnar's bath water."

Casavir smiled politely. "I assure you, my lady, I have endured far less quality drink in the past. But," he started to rise, "if it pleases you, I will have Sal send over something that my lady finds less offensive."

"No!" she said, startling him back into his chair with her sudden outburst. "Uh, what I mean is, allow me. I know that Sal has a few very nice bottles of wine hidden in the back room. I'll be right back."

Bowing his head slightly, Casavir said, "Very well, my lady."

It was everything the Knight-Captain could do to keep herself from breaking into a sprint from the anticipation pumping in her veins as she made her way across the inn, grabbing two clean goblets from behind the bar as she passed. Safely inside the back room away from prying eyes, she pulled the packet of herbs from her pocket. Snagging the first bottle of wine she could find and earnestly hoping that it didn't end up tasting like umber hulk spit, she filled both glasses nearly to the brim. _Okay,_ she thought as she picked up the herbs,_ Sand said one scoop…but what in the hells is a scoop?_ Looking around desperately, her eyes landed on a large serving spoon. _Perfect!_ She carefully dished out a heaping spoonful of the fragrant mixture, chewing her lip nervously as she stirred, and stirred, and stirred…and _stirred_. After a near eternity the drug was completely dissolved.

_Okay, girl,_ she mentally prepped herself as she fluffed her hair and squared her shoulders,_ you can do this. Time to show this guy that there's nothing wrong with expressing your feelings._

The Knight-Captain flashed her best charming smile at Casavir as he rose to receive the cup from her. She took special care to give him the wine that was spiked. _Wouldn't be good if I went spilling **my** guts to **him**, after all…he'd probably have me sent to a nunnery._ As they sat, he took a sip of the drink, and his eyebrows shot skyward in surprise. "This is _spiced_ wine, is it not, my lady?" he asked curiously.

"Uh, yeah," she said brightly, trying to hide her nervousness. "It was all I could find."

"It is quite good," he assured her as he took another drink, bringing a sigh of relief from the young woman.

After a long, awkward silence, she said hopefully, "So, Casavir…tell me how you became a Paladin."

As he began to talk, she leaned in and feigned attentiveness, smiling and nodding at all the right places, but her thoughts were, _How long will this take? I swear, if this crap takes a week to kick in, I'm going to have Sand drawn and quartered. Wait…why is he staring at me like that?_

Casavir was smiling slightly as he studied her face. "What…what's wrong?" she asked hesitantly.

"Not a thing, my lady," he said, somewhat dreamily, his smile expanding. "I was merely admiring your ravishing beauty."

_Okay, Sand is getting a raise._ "Casavir," she said with a coy smile, "what a sweet thing to say."

The Paladin surprised her by reaching for her hand and stroking it tenderly. "It is only the truth, my dear," he murmured. "From the first moment I laid eyes on you, I was captivated. You are a light in the darkness of this world." The Knight-Captain's mouth fell open, as she was rendered speechless, too surprised to even blush. "I have hidden my feelings from you for far too long, my lady. I love you, and I am not afraid to tell you anymore."

Her heart swelled as the Knight-Captain leaned closer to him. "Oh, Casavir," she breathed, "I-."

"In fact," he interrupted, his voice uncharacteristically loud, "I am not afraid to tell everyone. I want to shout my love for you to the world!" Before she could move, the tall man leaped up onto the table, smiling like a loon at the crowded room of patrons. "My dear friends!" he shouted over the din to a room full of mostly strangers, the shocked Knight-Captain staring up at him, frozen. "I have an announcement to make! I want you all to know that I _love_ this woman!" He pointed at her, gazing down with raw, albeit slightly drugged, adoration. "This strong and beautiful woman has captured my heart and I would do anything for her!"

Out of the corner of her eye, the Knight-Captain saw Khelgar and Bishop exchange a very confused look, and could hear Neeshka making gagging noises from the back of the crowd. "Casavir," she hissed, a plastic smile on her face to hide her panic, "that's quite enough I th-."

But the Paladin continued to shout blithely. "She is everything to me! When I close my eyes at night, I can see her face in my mind." He squeezed his eyes shut, swaying drunkenly as he continued, his voice lower, but still carrying easily through the now quiet room, "Sometimes I imagine the time I accidentally caught her bathing. How the water made her skin glow…the curves of her body…sometimes, late at night, that image comes upon me…and it makes me touch my-."

"O-KAY!" the Knight-Captain stepped up into her chair to haul the raving Paladin down by his arm, ignoring the hoots and catcalls of the general population of the inn. "I think that's about enough declarations for tonight."

As Casavir flopped back into his chair, she noticed that his pupils were very dilated and his breathing was strangely labored. "But…my darling love…" he panted, swaying as his eyes faded in and out of focus, "I just…my love…I want…." He tilted sideways and slid out of his chair, collapsing into a pile of drugged platemail.

The Knight-Captain stared down at him in silent fixation for a moment before she managed in a strangled, panicked half-scream, "Khelgar!"

The dwarf strode over, shaking his head in disbelief as he said, "What in the Nine Hells did ye do to him, lass?"

Instantly defensive, she snapped, "Nothing!"

Bishop sauntered around the table, lifting Casavir's wine goblet to his nose and sniffing gingerly. "That desperate, are we Captain?" he asked, lifting his eyebrow in amusement as he smirked at the humiliated woman. "You know, there are easier ways to get a man to warm your bed." He circled around behind her, leaning close to her ear as he murmured, "All you had to do was ask."

"Oh, please, Bishop," the Knight-Captain spat contemptuously. "Getting you into bed is about as challenging as finding a tree in the forest." She turned back to Khelgar and pleaded, "Can you please help me get him out of here?"

Khelgar shook his head doubtfully. "Now, lass, I'm as strong as they come, but not even I can carry a human his size in full platemail by myself."

She turned an imploring gaze on Bishop, who snorted in derision. "I don't volunteer for charity work as easily as a romp in the sack, _Captain_," he growled irritably.

The Knight-Captain was relieved when Neeshka crept up, eyeing Casavir curiously. "Oh, Neeshka, please tell me you'll help." Seeing the tiefling's "yeah, right" expression, she added quickly, "I'll give you a thousand gold if you pitch in."

"Done," Neeshka said pleasantly, moving to lift one of the prone Paladin's legs. The Knight-Captain reached for the other leg as Khelgar crouched to lift Casavir under his arms.

"Alright, lass, where do ye want him?"

The Knight-Captain hesitated as she thought, _Hmm…maybe some good can come from this disaster still._ "Let's get him to my chambers."

**Location: Crossroad Keep, Captain's Quarters**

Stumbling over the threshold of her room, they landed in an awkward pile of cursing dwarf, Knight-Captain, sweating platemail, and disgusted tiefling, Bishop grinning behind them all the way.

"Pay me," Neeshka snarled as they extracted themselves from one another. "NOW."

Glowering at the greedy cutpurse, the Knight-Captain threw a heavy bag of coin as hard as she could at the tiefling, who ducked and caught the bag expertly with her tail before swaggering out of the room.

Looking down at Casavir, it was obvious he was beginning to run a fever. "Okay," the Knight-Captain said, "now we have to strip him."

Backing away with his hands raised, Khelgar said, "Whoa, there, lass. I like ye and all, but there's no amount of friendship or gold that could get me to help ye there!"

"Fine!" she shouted angrily. "I'll do it my own damn self!" _This **is** your fault,_ a little voice nagged her, but she ignored it, bending instead to the strenuous task of removing Casavir's platemail.

After several minutes of cursing, struggling, and some more cursing, all under the loving supervision of Khelgar and Bishop, Casavir was finally stripped down to his clothes. Flopping backward onto the floor with a groan, the sweaty Knight-Captain grumbled, "Oh, this couldn't possibly get any worse."

"Uh," Bishop interrupted, the amused grin on his face widening. "He's convulsing."

_Spoke too soon, **stupid**!_ Quickly she moved to hold him down as he thrashed, but the seizure just seemed to get worse by the second. "Damn it!" she yelled at the gawking onlookers. "Could one of you _please_ go get-."

She broke off as Zhajeave appeared in the doorway beside them. "Know that I am here," she said softly as she came to kneel beside the Paladin.

_How in the hells does she do that?_ the Knight-Captain thought, suppressing the chill that always ran up her spine when the Gith was nearby. Zhajeave placed her hand on Casavir's forehead, muttering under her breath, and immediately his body stilled and his breathing came a bit easier, but he still looked very grim.

The cleric raised her eyes to the Knight-Captain. "Know that if I am to cure this malady, you must tell me the cause."

Blushing fiercely, she responded, "Well, I don't really _know_ what caused it…."

"She gave him an aphrodisiac," Bishop offered with a smug grin.

The Knight-Captain glared daggers at him, but admitted to Zhajeave, "Sand gave it to me."

"Know that I must be told what plants were used in this drug if I am to help."

Nodding, the Knight-Captain rose and leaned out the doorway past Bishop and Khelgar, knowing they wouldn't go track down the wizard for her, and screamed at the top of her lungs, "**SAND**!"

A moment later, the moon elf appeared in the doorway with a deep sigh. "You bellowed?" He suddenly spotted Casavir, his eyebrows raising in surprise as he asked, "Oh, my, what _did_ you do to him?"

"It's more like what did _you_ do to him," she snapped back. "Those herbs you gave me sent him into convulsions!"

Sand narrowed his eyes at her and asked, "Just how much did you give him?"

"One scoop, just like you said!"

Pursing his lips as he struggled for composure, Sand said slowly, "If you had only given him one scoop, we would not be standing here, my dear girl. Did you use the measure I gave you?"

"What?" she said, confused and angry. "You didn't give me any measure!"

Sand pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "It is inside the packet of herbs."

"Sand, I'm telling you," the Knight-Captain stated as she pulled out the nearly empty packet, "there's no measure…in…here…." She stared blankly into the packet in dumb silence for a long minute before reaching reluctantly inside and retrieving a small scoop, around the size of a half-teaspoon. "Oh, this is bad."

"Know that we must move him to the bed," Zhajeave said, and added, turning to Sand, "and know that you must tell me all that was inside that drug."

After a brief struggle, the sick Paladin was moved onto her bed, and as Sand and Zhajeave began working over him, the Knight-Captain flopped down in her desk chair. _Oh, this is wonderful. He confessed his love for you, alright, to a whole freaking room full of people, so you got what you wanted. Heh, you did say you'd get him to lighten up, even if it killed him…._ She lowered her head into her hands with a groan.

"I have done all I can," Zhajeave finally said as she covered Casavir with a blanket. "Know that he will recover, but he must not be moved."

"What!?" the Knight-Captain said. "But…but…this is _my_ room!"

"Why'd ye have us bring him here then, lass?" Khelgar asked.

"Because…I…"_ thought I'd make it look like we slept together and then maybe the tight-ass would lighten up and we'd live happily ever after, but of **course** he has to get deathly ill and go into convulsions because it wouldn't be **my** life if things were easy! _"I just wasn't thinking," she finished lamely.

Bishop rolled his eyes in disgust and disappeared down the hallway, followed shortly by the rest of the group. The Knight-Captain frowned in worry as she leaned over Casavir, who appeared to be sleeping soundly in her bed. With a sigh, she sat back down in her chair, propping her feet up on the desk as she tried to get a few hours sleep.

…

Casavir's groan woke her a few hours later, bringing her stumbling to her feet, which were both numb from her awkward sleeping position. Dragging herself gracelessly to the bed, she leaned over and whispered, "Casavir?"

"What…what happened?" he groaned as his eyes flickered open, struggling to focus on her face. _Yeah, girl, what **did** happen? Just what exactly are you going to tell him…the truth?_ "You, uh, were food poisoned," she lied, hoping he was still too disoriented to sense her dishonesty.

Casavir massaged his pounding forehead as he propped himself up on his elbows. "Food poison?" he repeated. "I feel like I've been drugged."

_Damn it!_ "Yeah, well," she smiled nervously and tried to change the subject. "Zhajeave patched you up, so you should be feeling better soon."

Giving up leaving the bed, Casavir lay back down, murmuring absently, "Oh, well, thank you." The Knight-Captain smiled and stood, ready to head back to her chair for the remainder of the night. "My lady?" Casavir's tone startled her. "Why am I in your bed?"

_See, you should have told the truth from the start. Now you're a liar and there's no way you can weasel your way out of this one._ She turned back to him, a big sheepish grin on her face. _Maybe he'll think it's funny._ The worry that bordered on terror behind his eyes as he regarded her suspiciously made her realize, _Probably not._

"You know, Casavir," she said, chuckling to herself as she sat down on the edge of the bed, "it's the funniest story. You see, _Sand_ thought it would be a good idea to test this experimental new drug on you…."


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, I was inspired to continue this, and I plan one more part to wrap it up, but no promises as to when it will be out. Enjoy! Oh, and I _do_ love reviews...

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**Location: Crossroad Keep, Library**

Sand blinked repeatedly, the false smile frozen on his lips as he said with a calm he did not feel, "I _am_ sorry, my dear girl, but I'm sure I must have misheard you. I could have sworn you just said – but, no, that's impossible. You would never do something so incredibly wicked, not to mention _stupid_."

The Knight-Captain shifted uncomfortably before stating, her voice flat and humorless, "Apparently I would. Like I said, I blamed it all on you. Casavir thinks the whole thing was your idea, using a new concoction on him that had some…unexpected results. I…just thought you should know," she finished in a rush, turning on her heel and practically running toward the library door.

Sand's face turned to a mask of distress and irritation, but his mind was quickly ticking off his possible choices in this situation.

_Option One: Run. Run fast, run hard, run far. I may not be terribly quick, but perhaps I can put enough distance between myself and that platemail automaton that he'll run out of energy and decide I'm not worth the effort to kill. Possible downfall: Nevalle. He's sure to send his righteous do-gooders after me, and not just for this little episode. He might even forget to tell them I'm worth more alive…._

_Option Two: Wait for the Paladin to recover and hope he's willing to be rational. Likelihood of success: none. Likelihood of success with a second drugging: better, but with a greater chance of smiting afterward._

_Option Three: A well placed disintegrate spell. If failed: only results in baiting the bull and giving him yet another reason to kill me. If successful: hostile threat will shift from raging tin can to hormone-driven Knight-Captain, bent on revenge for the death of the only somewhat normal human male for miles…though, "normal" is a terribly vague term, I'm afraid._

_Option Four: Depend on the Knight-Captain's fear of confrontation…hmm…I think we just might have something here…._

All these thoughts took little more than a second to process, not enough time for the Knight-Captain to escape. "If I may be so bold as to ask," he said loudly, his voice surprisingly smooth and calm even to himself, "what _exactly_ are you going to do about all the _witnesses_, dear girl?"

The Knight-Captain halted in the doorway and asked in a tone that suggested she feared he was trying to trick her into something, "What witnesses, Sand?"

The moon elf quirked an eyebrow at her, trying to hide his amusement as he explained, "Why, the tavern full of people who witnessed your little botched attempt at a love connection, of course. Don't worry, _Neeshka_ filled me in on all the details…and I do mean _all_. I assume that since I'm still alive, you did not go into the minutiae of his antics when you blamed your mistake on me, hmm?"

The Knight-Captain shook her head, her eyes wide with alarmed wonderment. "I…I just said he passed out," she admitted in a stupor. "That we finished our drink and he walked me back to my rooms. I…I said that's when he slumped over, so that's why he was in my bed. But, I…holy crap, Sand, what am I going to do?" she wailed, her horrified misery almost pulling the heartstrings of the arrogant mage…_almost_.

"Well," he began, folding his hands in front of himself as he circled her slowly, "first you must find everyone that was there."

"But the place was packed last night!" she interrupted, distraught. "That could be dozens of people."

Sand pursed his lips impatiently, reminding himself, _You are doing this to save your own skin – be prepared to test your limits, Sand old boy_. "Not really," he explained in a measured tone. "Nearly all the merchants and travelers will have moved on, or will not see the value of such rumor-fodder. No, the real worry is those who know you…."

**Location: Crossroad Keep, War Room**

The Knight-Captain gazed around at her companions as they gathered around the large table, chewing her lip nervously before she leaned to Sand and whispered, "Are you sure this is everyone that knows?"

The wizard shrugged, "Perhaps not, but these are the ones your toy soldier will believe, so this is where we should focus. But, as you well know, not all will simply agree to keep your secret out of good faith. Some will require…an alternative form of persuasion."

With a resigned sigh, she turned to them all and said, "I'm sure you all know why we're here."

Bishop grinned cruelly. "Ah, yes, we're here because of your little mishap last night. Seems a bit like fishing with blast globes, don't you think, Knight-Captain?" he asked mockingly.

"I tried that once!" Grobnar chimed in happily. "It didn't exactly go the way I had expected. You see, it hadn't been explained to me that you must throw the globe _outside_ the boat. I had to swim back to shore naked after the explosion burned off all my clothes! I was a bit singed, I'll admit, but the fire from my little boat was actually quite bea-u-tiful!"

Ammon Jerro gave a growling sigh of disgust before he grumbled, "I, for one, think you're wasting valuable time. We should be focusing on the mission at hand, not chasing after these trifling romantic urges!"

Bishop muttered under his breath, "Sounds like _someone's_ just bitter because they haven't gotten any in a century or two, eh, Jerro?"

The old warlock scowled at the smirking ranger as he snapped back, "Funny coming from you since I've never even seen you with a woman. I wouldn't be surprised to find you prefer the company of men, pretty boy."

Before an irate Bishop could respond, Neeshka said, "Ooo, I prefer the company of men! Too bad there aren't any in the room."

Khelgar puffed up defiantly, "Now see here, ye damn demonling, I'll have you know that I'm twice the man of any of these mewing pups!"

"Oh, please" Qara droned, smiling darkly, "only in width."

Khelgar bellowed as he jumped to his feet, his chair clattering to the floor as he raged at the sorceress, while Bishop pulled a dagger from his wristguard as he sneered at Ammon, and Neeshka was clearly contemplating which of them would make the best mark. Elanee and Zhajeave stood against the back wall, frowning in disgust at the melee, but soon they were dragged into the massive altercation as well. Sand leaned in toward the flabbergasted Knight-Captain and murmured, "You know, it _would_ solve our problem fairly easily if we just let them kill each other."

The Knight-Captain shot him a disapproving look even as her mind said, _Hmm…he's got a good point. Life would be a lot easier without some of these liabilities anyway…No! Stop thinking like Sand and do something_. "Okay, everyone," she tried to yell, "that's enough!" But her words went completely ignored as the arguments became even more heated. "Fine!" she shouted, reaching for the only thing she could think of, "Since no one minds, I'll just rip off Sand's robe and have my way with him right here on the table!"

Silence instantly fell on the room as all eyes, surprised, curious and unsettlingly interested, were abruptly focused on the Knight-Captain, and the disgusted looking wizard behind her. "Bunch of degenerate perverts," he grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest, feeling strangely violated.

"Thank you for your cooperation," the Knight-Captain snapped. "By now, all of you know what happened at the inn last night and I've called you here to ensure your silence on the matter. Casavir must not know what actually happened, is that clear?"

Neeshka scrutinized her skeptically as she asked, "And just how do you intend to insure our silence, hmm?"

"Whatever it takes," the Knight-Captain answered in full seriousness. "Name your prices."

Ammon Jerro growled in disgust as he stood up and stalked toward the door, "Just never invite me to another of these 'family reunions' again and my lips are sealed." He slammed the door hard behind him.

Elanee frowned as she moved to follow the warlock. "It is unlikely that Casavir will seek out my council in this matter, so I believe it is safe for me to excuse myself as well."

"I'm out of here, too," Qara said irritably, bringing a round of surprised looks from everyone.

"That's…" the Knight-Captain started uncertainly, "well I would say 'good of you,' but I doubt this is out of the goodness of your heart."

"You're damn right it's not," the sorceress snapped. "Look, bringing down more angst on that Paladin is like kicking a dead puppy – not very amusing, and pretty pointless. I've got better things to do," she finished arrogantly, breezing out of the room.

The Knight-Captain's stomach lurched as she turned to Zhajeave. "Know that I cannot lie to him," the Gith said simply.

"I'm not asking you to lie," the Knight-Captain said, pleadingly. "Just…don't offer anything up. He doesn't have any reason to be suspicious, so I doubt he'll say anything at all."

Despite the veil, it was clear Zhajeave was frowning as she debated. Finally, she said, "Very well," bringing an explosive sigh of relief from the Knight-Captain.

Neeshka was eyeing her warily as they turned to her, trying to determine just how high she should aim. "Two thousand," she said shortly. "Figure the info is worth twice the help I gave last night."

The Knight-Captain smirked as she retrieved a very large coin pouch. "I aimed too high," she admitted ruefully as she handed it to the tiefling. "Here's twenty-five hundred – don't spend it all in one place."

"Well, lass, you won't have to pay me," Khelgar said proudly, casting a glare at the tiefling, who responded by sticking her tongue out childishly. "Just promise me ye won't go doing something this stupid again – yer too good to be making a damn fool of yerself over a man like this."

The Knight-Captain blushed, feeling flattered and uplifted by the stalwart dwarf's compliment, but the feeling did not last long. "Don't think you'll be able to pay me off, _Knight-Captain_," Bishop sneered. "There's no amount of money worth the trauma this will do to your little man friend."

"That's good, Bishop," the Knight-Captain said with a wide, cruel smile, relishing the confusion that flared behind the ranger's eyes. "I wasn't planning to offer you any money anyway. No, no, my offer to you is much more…personal." She smiled openly as she sat on the table beside his chair, lifting her eyebrow suggestively.

Bishop's smile was greedy and mocking at the same time. "Well, now," he murmured, sliding one hand up her knee, "I knew you'd come around some day."

The Knight-Captain threw her head back and laughed loudly, bring the confusion back into the ranger's eyes. "Oh, you misunderstand," she purred, "though that's not exactly surprising. No, Bishop…I was thinking more along the lines of…" her voice dropped low as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. Bishop paled suddenly, his eyes narrowing in fierce anger before he shoved away from the table and stormed out of the room.

"By the gods, woman," Sand said with open admiration, "what _did_ you say to him?"

The Knight-Captain shrugged with a broad smirk on her face. "Oh, not much," she said, casually examining her nails. "I just explained that if he leaked one word of this, I'd tell Kana about the peep hole he drilled in the wall between their rooms and how he always locks the door to his room when she's bathing. Then, I hinted that I would allow her to punish his invasion of her privacy in any way she saw fit…which, knowing Kana, would be pretty damn creative and probably invasive in a totally different way."

The Knight-Captain turned her attention then to Grobnar, who was humming tunelessly as he stared at the far wall with a vacant smile on his face. "So, uh, what about you Grobnar?" she nervously asked the unpredictable gnome as she sat down beside him. "What do I need to do to keep you quiet?"

"Do?" Grobnar repeated, a bit amused.

"Yeah, I mean, do you want a new lute, or maybe some enchanted parchment that I'll have to sell my soul for?" she joked half-heartedly.

The gnome's eyebrows shot up as he appeared to be seriously contemplating her offer. "Wow, that does sound wonderful!" he said cheerfully. "But, I'm afraid that just won't be enough."

The Knight-Captain shared a worried and slightly terrified look with Sand as she wondered, Is _it possible that the "I'm an idiot gnome" look he's got going on is all an act?_ "Not…enough?" she asked hesitantly. "Um…so, what will I have to give you, my friend, if that's not enough?"

"Give me?" Grobnar offered a confused smile before he seemed to realize her meaning. "Oh, no, no, that's not what I meant! Rather, I was trying to tell you that _me_ being _quiet_ will not be enough. You see, I was most inspired by your encounter, a true example of love gone wrong, a heart-wrenching story of triumph over tragedy in the face of a love potion, a perfect-."

"OKAY!" Sand snapped, his normal smooth composure ripped asunder by the gnomes rambling. "Just get to the point already."

"The point?" Grobnar mused. "Oh, oh, yes, of course. As I was saying, I was inspired, so I wrote a wonderful song about the event, with the assistance of Deekin."

The Knight-Captain stared at the smiling gnome in blank wonder. "Deekin?" she finally whispered. "You…you mean the kobold who runs the merchant shop?"

"The very same!" Grobnar confirmed. "He has the words and music in his shop. You know, you wouldn't think it to look at him, but he is a terribly talented musician! I never thought I'd be so envious of a creature with scales! Well, maybe a fish…they lead rather interesting lives, don't you think? I always…."

As the gnome droned on, the Knight-Captain hissed to Sand, "We've got to get that kobold."

**Location: Crossroad Keep, Casavir on the Move**

Casavir awoke shortly before the meeting began, feeling stronger, but with a headache like he had never experienced before. After several minutes of attempting to heal the ailment himself, he decided to seek out an alternative form of pain relief, something he was not usually compelled to do, but the pounding in his head urged him to forego his typical bias. After dressing clumsily, the tall Paladin walked with as much dignity as possible out of the Knight-Captain's room.

He could hear raised voices coming from the War Room as he passed, and recognized many of them. He paused for a moment, feeling strangely excluded, despite the fact that he could hardly stand the presence of most of their companions. Telling himself that they were only allowing him to rest from the botched experiment, and pressed onward by his pain, Casavir continued on his way out the front door of the keep.

Groaning in the piercing sunlight, the Paladin did not notice as several guards and workmen stopped what they were doing to watch him stumble across the courtyard, whispering and snickering behind their hands. His head was throbbing so fiercely, he was walking blind as he finally made it to the door of the merchant shop.

After practically collapsing inside, Casavir tried to focus his eyes as a shrill but friendly voice called out, "Oh, it be you, shiny holy man! Deekin always be happy to see you!"

Forcing a smile, the Paladin gazed down at the grinning kobold. "Hello, my friend," Casavir said, his voice quiet and gravelly, every word like a hammer to the side of his head. "I," he hesitated uncomfortably for a moment, "I have heard from some of the men that you have a 'miracle cure' of sorts for a…hang over. I was…hoping…well…."

Deekin held up his hand as he walked around behind the counter. "You don't gots to say no more, shiny man," he said, plopping two large pills into the embarrassed Paladin's hand and offering him a glass of water. "Deekin hears all about what happen last night, so Deekin fix you up good."

Casavir frowned as he swallowed the pills, sending a quick prayer that they would kick in fast. "You heard about that?" he asked, confused. "You mean, what happened in the Keep?"

"No," Deekin said, smiling with kind innocence. "Deekin knows you was sick later, but shiny man act all crazy before, in the inn, Deekin hears."

_All crazy?_ Casavir wondered, worried. "Um, Deekin my friend," he stated carefully, not sure if he really wanted to know what the kobold knew or not, "you cannot believe everything you are told. But…what exactly did you hear?"

**Location: Crossroad Keep, Deekin's Merchant Shop**

The Knight-Captain burst gracelessly though the door, panting hard, with Sand right on her heels. As soon as she spotted Casavir standing beside Deekin, she stopped so abruptly, it looked as though she'd been turned to stone. Behind her, Sand took one look at the frowning Paladin and leaped backward out the door, slamming it shut and holding it closed with all his strength. The Knight-Captain, finally regaining use of her limbs, reached behind her to tug at the door in growing panic as the Paladin walked slowly toward her. She strained and grunted until he was right in front of her, then backed herself up against the door, staring at her toes like a contrite child.

"Is this true?" Casavir whispered softly. "Did you lie to me?"

The Knight-Captain refused to make eye contact, scuffing her boot into the floor as she muttered, "The truth is so…relative…."

Casavir lifted her chin firmly, forcing her to meet his disapproving gaze. "My lady, please tell me what I said last night. Deekin…he said-."

"I'm sorry!" the Knight-Captain moaned, hoping a vehement display of womanly tears would soften this encounter. "I didn't mean for it to happen! I just wanted you to lighten up, just a little, tell me how you feel for once! But of course I had to screw everything up and nearly kill you! And I swear, I didn't know you'd ever seen me bathing before or maybe I wouldn't have-."

"Bathing?" Casavir asked sharply, his face slowly turning a deep crimson as it was his turn to avoid her look. "What…what are you talking about?"

"Um, boss?" Deekin chimed in nervously. "Deekin sort of skips that part of story – Deekin figures it be too embarrassing for shiny holy man, so Deekin don't wants to be inconsiderate."

As Casavir stared at her in horror, the Knight-Captain seriously debated leaping from the walls of the Keep, but since Sand was still holding the door closed, and with her luck, all she'd do is take so many injuries that it would take both Casavir and Zhajeave to put her back together again, she decided on another tactic. Making her eyes wide and innocent as she dredged up a fresh flow of tears, she whispered, "Sand drugged me."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own squat.

Okay, this is the final part of the little one shot that just wouldn't die. I got a little long-winded on this one, but I wanted to get this out of my system...not that it hasn't been fun, but I _have_ to stop thinking about it!! As always, reviews and comments are welcome and appreciated, and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

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**Location: Crossroad Keep, Courtyard**

Sand let out an entirely unmanly yelp of fear as the door was wrenched from his vise-like grip. He suddenly found himself face to chest with Casavir, whose nostrils were flared and eyes were narrow and bloodshot, making him look more like an irate Blackguard than a Paladin of Tyr. The alarmed wizard backed slowly away as Casavir advanced, looming a good foot and half over him, his jaw clenched so tightly it was a wonder his teeth didn't crack. Sand's eyes darted to the Knight-Captain, who peeked at him from her hiding spot behind Casavir, mouthing to the wizard, "I'm so sorry!" before hiding her face in shame once more. _Not **nearly** as sorry as you soon will be, dear girl,_ Sand vowed as he tried to put on his best disarming smile and discretely moved his hand toward the pouch of spell components on his belt.

"Ah, Casavir," Sand said with as much innocent cheer as he could muster, which, not surprisingly, wasn't much, and continued to back away as the Paladin stalked gravely toward him, "just the holy roller I've been looking for. If it is not too much trouble, I'd like you to take a look at…_this!"_ With a flick of his wrist, the wizard threw a small amount of powder from his pouch of components into Casavir's eyes, _Such a waste,_ taking special care to make sure it wasn't something that would do permanent damage. _I haven't done anything wrong up to this point (unless, of course, you count helping that dunderhead of a leader in the first place) so it would be utterly foolish of me to go and blind the dolt and actually deserve the horrific end he seems to have planned for me. _

As the Paladin roared like an enraged dire bear, wiping at his stinging eyes, Sand hiked his robe up above his knobby knees and fled like a bat out of the hells. He could hear the lumbering footfalls of the behemoth behind him, each one bringing a distressed squeak out of the wizard despite the fact that they were falling farther and farther away. _Just a little bit farther…just a little bit farther…._ As he sprinted up the hill in front of the Keep, Sand turned to face his attacker, reciting the words to the only spell he hoped would stop this insane debacle as quickly as elvenly possible. Just as the Paladin reached him, hands outstretched for Sand's neck, the spell washed over Casavir. His face transformed from incensed, irrational fury to a blank, far away look as he stopped and stood dumbly before the gasping, trembling wizard. Sand felt faint from relief, his knees threatening to fail, but out of a keen sense of self-preservation he forced himself to concentrate on maintaining the domination spell.

"What in the Nine Hells have you done to him?" the Knight-Captain screamed accusingly as she ran toward them.

_You should be far more concerned about what I am going to do to **you** than what I have done to your angst filled platemail,_ Sand thought, but his mouth said, "I am putting an end to this foolishness, my dear girl. Now, come with me."

"Come with you?" she repeated, putting her hands on her hips like a stubborn child. "Why should I?"

Sand sneered at her, a deep, frightening anger flashing in her eyes as he hissed, "_Because_ if you refuse I will have your little toy soldier here walk off the first cliff I can find. And if you try to stop me, I will take half this damnable keep with me before I go!"

The Knight-Captain held her hands up in surrender as she said meekly, "Alright, alright, I'll come. Sheesh, doesn't take much to set you off, does it?"

Sand paused and seriously contemplated carrying out his initial threat to do away with the Paladin, but controlling his rather unbalanced temper, he led the two into the Keep instead.

**Location: Crossroad Keep, Beneath the Library**

"Sand, what _is_ this place?" The Knight-Captain nervously eyed the interior of the small, dark room they had reached through a secret tunnel behind one of the bookcases in the library. The dim lantern by the entrance revealed a small desk that seconded as an alchemist workbench, and several chairs were arranged against one wall. A small cage, just large enough for a human to crouch inside stood empty yet ominous in one corner, while a rack mounted with several wicked and very keen looking knives of varying sizes occupied another. There was the distinct odor of smoke, spell components and decomposition inside the chamber that made the Knight-Captain's arm hairs stand on end.

As the wizard directed Casavir to a chair, he responded, "Oh, this is just a place I quite stumbled upon by accident and have since converted to my own…mm, private uses, you might say."

The Knight-Captain suppressed a shiver as she hugged herself and said quietly, "Well, it looks more like a torture chamber than a lab, if you ask me." She stifled a surprised squeak as a colorful snake slid across the desk toward her, darting its tongue out curiously before disappearing into a pile of papers covered with arcane runes written with a brownish-red substance that alarmingly resembled old, dry blood.

Sand straightened up, glancing around the room in mocking bemusement as he commented, "Oh, yes…there _is_ an odd similarity…isn't there now? Though, I must say I prefer the term 'interrogation room'." With an amused smile, he turned back to the Paladin.

Frowning as she tried to ignore the ghastly implications in Sand's voice, the Knight-Captain noticed with some trepidation that Sand was strapping Casavir's wrists and ankles to the chair with some kind of enchanted restraint. "Is that really necessary?" she asked, trying to hide the slightly panicked squeak in her voice. _Oh, great, girl, you've finally done it. You pushed Sand right off the deep end and now he's going to disembowel the Paladin right in front of you. Sigh Well, I guess I always knew this day would come…I just figured it would be Qara strapped to that chair._

The wizard completed his work and produced a small vial from his belt and waved it under the Paladin's nose. As Sand released his domination of the man, Casavir slumped forward in the chair, unconscious. "Thanks to your little homicidal venture into the world of untruths," Sand purred as he began walking menacingly toward her, "I'm afraid you have left me with little alternative."

Smiling nervously, she responded as she backed away, trying to sound calm, "Oh, come on, Sand old buddy. Everyone lies every now and then. It's just a part of life."

Sand stopped advancing on her, staring at her as if she were an elaborate and nonsensical puzzle that escaped his understanding. "So, let me get this straight, dear girl," he said, his voice cold and calculating as he began pacing deliberately in front of her, "you see _nothing_ wrong with what you have done these last two days? There's not _one thing_ you would change?"

The Knight-Captain blinked repeatedly, trying to keep her face neutral, but it was clear the questions confused her. "I…" she started slowly, as if trying to plan her words based on Sand's expression, but the moon elf kept his face blank and emotionless, so she rushed on, angry now, "I guess the only damn thing I regret is coming to _you_ for help in the first place!"

Sand raised an eyebrow as he said, "Well, thank the gods for small favors. But that is not exactly what I meant. You see nothing wrong with lying to your Paladin over there? The lies you invented out of thin air do not bother you in the least?"

"Well…" the Knight-Captain shrugged helplessly, "no, not really. Why?"

Sand chuckled in bemusement, shaking his head as he muttered under his breath, "I'm afraid you have much to learn about Paladins, and the things they value most, dear girl. But…that can wait." Before she could respond, Sand lunged forward, waving the bottle under her nose. Sand caught her as she fell, directing her descent into a nearby chair, and the last thing she thought before darkness enveloped her was, _I knew that was the wrong answer…._

…

The Knight-Captain groaned as she gradually regained consciousness, the merry whistling of Sand as he worked at the desk grating on her ears like sandpaper on her brain. _Okay, I'm still alive,_ she brilliantly deduced in an eternal struggle for optimism before the she cracked her eyes open and attempted to focus her vision,_ that's a good sign, right? It feels like all my body parts are intact as well, another thing to be grateful for…except that I can't move…because my hands and feet are bound to the chair…._

She turned her head as Casavir stirred in the chair beside her, and though she still could not see clearly, he did not seem to be injured either. The Knight-Captain frowned at Sand, squinting to see that he was mixing a yellowish bubbling potion in a large beaker, nodding to himself in apparent satisfaction. _Maybe he's just trying to scare us,_ she tried to comfort herself. _I mean, he is a Luskan, but this could all be just to teach us a lesson…right? He would never…actually…would he? No, no, he's loyal to Nasher now…and Sand's not really a bad sort, right?_ She had almost started to feel better when the wizard suddenly drew a large amount of the yellowish liquid into the largest syringe she had ever seen. Feeling herself being to shake uncontrollably, sweat breaking out across her forehead, she squeaked, "Sand…what is _that_ for?"

"Ah, wonderful," Sand murmured, smiling in delight at the Knight-Captain, "you've woken up just in time. Oh, and so has your companion," he added, seeing Casavir blinking at him in confusion. "I really couldn't _ask_ for more cooperative patients."

"What is this?" Casavir demanded, pulling at the restraints, which didn't budge an inch due to the heavy enchantments. "What are you planning, foul wizard?"

Sand clicked his tongue shamefully and shook his head before he said, "Oh, now, now, there's no need for name calling. After all, I _am_ here to clean up the mess of your fair lady."

"_MY_ mess?!" the Knight-Captain exploded, more fear driven than anything else, but also out of desperation to keep Casavir from knowing the full truth. "This is all _your_ fault!"

The wizard stopped her by raising his hand calmly for silence. "I am sure you see it that way," he said, his voice silky and frightening at the same time, "but if that is the case, then it is my _duty_ to fix things…would you not agree?" Thwarted by her own logic, and trapped by her own lies, the Knight-Captain just stared at him in dumb silence, which Sand translated as a victory. "Now, you asked me a question," he said, turning to pick up a second needle and filling it with more of the substance, "and it would be downright _rude_ of me not to answer. This," he held the two full syringes up, "is truth serum. It's an old family recipe."

"Truth serum?" Casavir echoed, looking deeply offended. "I am a Paladin, and bound to honesty at any cost! It is unnecessary for you to use such a thing on me!"

"Perhaps," Sand smiled in amusement, "but we shall see."

As he advanced on the Knight-Captain first, the wicked, gleaming needle in his hand, she half-shrieked, "C-couldn't I-I just d-drink the damn st-stuff?"

Chuckling calmly, Sand replied, "Oh, certainly…but where's the fun in that?"

Before she could protest, he sunk the needle several inches into her thigh, and she ground her teeth as the serum burned like acid into her leg. Sand repeated the same procedure on Casavir, who looked as though he wished to crush the wizard into pulp and offer him to Tyr as a sacrifice. Standing back from them, Sand noted, "It will not take long. Let me know as soon as you feel the chemicals take effect."

_Like hells I will!_ the Knight-Captain thought furiously, and Casavir's severe expression reflected that sentiment, yet after a few moments, she could not stop herself from admitting, "I believe the serum has taken effect." _Where did that come from?_ she chided herself angrily.

"On me as well," Casavir confirmed, his own frown of distaste similar to hers. Only then did she realize, _The viper wasn't lying – it is truth serum. Holy crap, this is so bad…._

Sand smiled widely, amused by their confusion. "Wonderful," he droned. "Let the cleansing begin. My dear Knight-Captain," he turned to face the wide-eyed human, "did you come to me yesterday morning and ask me to give you something that would make _yon Paladin_ confess his true feelings for you?"

_Oh, if only I could bite my own tongue off…but I'm too much of a coward to even try!_ Unable to look Casavir in the eye, she hung her head and mumbled, "Yes."

"Very good. And what was my answer when you asked?"

"You said that I was too reckless and insipid to be trusted with something of that magnitude."

"Yes, excellent memory. And then, my dear girl, what _did_ you tell me?"

The Knight-Captain sighed heavily before she said grudgingly, "That the only way a person grows is by giving them greater responsibility."

Sand smiled wickedly as he purred, "Oh, yes, and we've _clearly_ seen just how much you've _grown_ from this situation, now haven't we?"

"Wait a moment," Casavir cut in, his face showing hurt and confusion as he gazed at the Knight-Captain. "You lied to me? This was not Sand's experiment, but rather, your…desperation?"

"Yes," the miserable woman conceded in a whisper. "But…" she could feel tears, genuine tears, stinging her eyes, "I only did it because I had to know the truth."

Casavir's eyes narrowed as anger made its way into his voice, "So am I to understand that Sand never drugged you either, my lady? That was a lie as well?"

"Drug her?" Sand said in amusement. "My dear Paladin, I _should_ have drugged her to keep this from happening!" Turning to the Knight-Captain, he clarified Casavir's question, "Have I ever drugged you, dear girl?"

The Knight-Captain scowled at him as she hissed, "I don't know, Sand. This little private time in your own personal torture chamber isn't exactly inspiring confidence in me that you aren't doing some things behind my back!"

Sand pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed. "Fine, allow me to dumb down the question for you, hmm? To the best of your knowledge, have I ever drugged you?"

"No."

Sand smirked in satisfaction, and Casavir shook his head in disappointment. "I did not think you would stoop to such dishonorable tactics, my lady," the Paladin said sadly.

The Knight-Captain's deep shame was quickly replaced by irrational anger as she straightened up and glared at him. "That's pretty funny coming from a vow-breaking Paladin who can't even be honest with himself, let alone the woman who loves him!"

Casavir was clearly taken aback by her outburst, but suddenly asked, his voice soft and uncertain, "You…you _love_ me, my lady?"

"Well of course I love you, you damn fool!" she shouted, the tears in her eyes beginning to fall down her face. "Why in the Nine Hells do you think I went through all of this? I'd rather bathe in my own excrement than ask Sand for a favor-."

The wizard snorted, "I assure you, the feeling is entirely mutual…well, perhaps not _entirely_."

"-and now half my Keep thinks I'm an irresponsible headcase-."

"Oh, more than half by now, my dear, I'm sure."

"-and I had to pay – _PAY_ – Neeshka, the one who steals everything that's not nailed down, just to get her to help me and keep her mouth shut-."

"Which you can be sure she did not do."

"-and Grobnar and Deekin wrote a freaking song about this whole thing-."

"And in case you forgot, the kobold still has that."

"-and all I wanted was to hear those wonderful words come out of your mouth. When you said those things to me in the inn, for the first time in months, I felt _alive. _Like I wasn't just someone's pawn, or a tool that was useful at the moment, but rather a vibrant, desirable woman…because you said you _loved_ me."

Staring at the brokenhearted woman as she gazed at the stunned Paladin, Sand felt something strangely akin to guilt gnawing at him for what he was about to do to them, but when the feeling faded without a trace, he passed it off as an emotional misfire. "Well," he said smoothly, smiling brightly, "as much as I detest interrupting this little confession, I'm afraid the serum is about to wear off. Before it does, I promised a few…mm, friends, I suppose you'd call them, that they could have a word with you first."

As Sand moved to the doorway, the Knight-Captain felt a ball of terrified panic tighten in her stomach as she heard footsteps on the stairway. _I already know who it's going to be…why am I so scared? What more can they possibly do to make this situation worse? NO – don't answer that! I don't want to know!_

Slowly, almost solemnly, they filed into the room: Qara, Bishop and Neeshka. _I supposed I should be grateful,_ the Knight-Captain tried to tell herself calmly, _I thought he'd bring the whole damn family down here…._

"I'm first!" Neeshka demanded before Sand could say a word. "I had to help carry that sweaty beast all the way from the inn, my skin itching like I had fleas the whole time, so I think I deserve to go before them!"

"As you wish," Sand conceded, "but do make it quick – just one question, because the serum will wear off soon."

Neeshka didn't hesitate before she asked the Knight-Captain, "Just how much gold is there in this Keep, hmm?"

"In the Keep's coffers there is somewhere around 200,000 gold pieces," the Knight-Captain answered immediately, despite her mind screaming at her to shut up. "Privately, however, I am in possession of nearly 750,000 gold pieces."

"Where? _Where?"_ the tielfing demanded, shaking the Knight-Captain by the collar of her shirt.

"He said _one_ question, you hog," Qara grumbled, but the Knight-Captain was already responding.

"Kana holds the only key to the Keep vaults behind the throne room, and the rest is in several chests under the floorboards of my personal rooms." As Neeshka squealed and ran from the room, the Knight-Captain thought,_ My only comfort is that she might be in such a hurry to get to that gold that she'll set off those divine traps I had put in last week. I'll be broke, but maybe she'll lose a horn…._

"Guess it's my turn," Qara said with a sinister smile as she began to walk around Casavir in a slow circle, eyeing him like a piece of meat.

The Knight-Captain glared at the sorceress. "I thought you said goading him was like kicking a dead puppy, Qara." From the hurt look in the Paladin's eyes, she thought,_ Okay, so that's not the best way to win over the man's heart, but it's true…isn't that what he wants…honesty?_

"Oh, it is," Qara said, still smiling, "but you, _Captain_…you're quite a tempting target for humiliation. So, why don't you tell us: what do you think of our friend Bishop here, hmm?"

Bishop raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised by the question, but looked more than smug as he turned to the confused Knight-Captain. When she did not immediately respond, Sand explained, "You'll have to be more specific with your question."

"Okay…why are you after Casavir instead of Bishop?"

_Oh, please let the King of Shadows appear right now and kill us all…please…PLEASE?_ "Because Casavir is strong and dependable, where Bishop is dangerous and uncontrollable," she began. _Hey, that wasn't so bad…except that my mouth is still moving…._ "And even thought Casavir is often boring, sometimes to the point of near delirium, I'd still take him over Bishop because even though Bishop is probably much better in bed, it's pretty likely that I'd end up with more than his manhood inside me – there'd be a knife between my ribs as well." _Which wouldn't be so bad right about now._

The ranger grinned broadly, triumphant even in defeat because of the deep pain in Casavir's eyes. "Oh, Captain," Bishop droned, "I'd at least wait until we were finished." As Qara leaned back against the wall, Bishop approached Casavir, smirking at the bound Paladin. "And now, I _do_ believe it's my turn."

"Do your worst, Bishop," Casavir spat in contempt. "I do not fear you."

"Well, that's good to know," Bishop growled, "but I hope to change that with just one question. Is it true," his voice shifted to mocking shock, "that you, in all your pious goodness, once observed our fair leader bathing?"

Casavir blanched, but answered, "No."

Bishop looked disappointed and confused, but Sand quickly caught on, smiling widely as he stepped forward. "Oh, do allow me, my dear ranger. Casavir, _how many times_ have you observed the Knight-Captain bathing?"

The Paladin swallowed hard and looked as though he too wished the King of Shadows would appear before he finally whispered hoarsely, "Eight…" the Knight-Captian's mouth fell open as Casavir's eyes dropped to the floor, "…teen."

Sand's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as Qara and Bishop both dissolved into hysterics, doubling over as they slapped their thighs and struggled for breath. "Well," Bishop finally managed, wiping tears of amusement from his eyes, "that's even more than me. Congratulations, Paladin."

_From now on, I'm bathing in the dark!_ "Well, at least I _like_ him watching me – can't say the same for you!" the Knight-Captain snapped impotently. _Hey, that was a lie._ "I think the serum is wearing off."

Casavir shot her a dark look, but Sand nodded and said, "Yes, I believe you are right. Now, I will release you both if you will behave like civilized humans. This was for the best, I assure you…and fairly amusing as well."

They two grudgingly agreed, avoiding eye contact with each other as Sand removed the restraints. As soon as she was free, the Knight-Captain leaped up and started to rush Qara, who apparently saw the attack coming and sprinted up the steps, cackling madly. Before she could move to follow, a large, strong hand caught her by the elbow and turned her.

She stared up at Casavir, his deep blue eyes haunted and confused. "Do you love me, my lady?"

"Yes," she whispered, wondering why he would ask her now that the serum was no longer in effect.

A faint smile touched his eyes as he slowly encircled her body with his powerful arms. "And I love you, my beautiful Knight-Captain," he murmured softly. _Okay, this so has to be a dream,_ she thought, _A freaky half-nightmare kind of dream, but I know I'll wake up any minute now._ "Just…promise me something. Don't lie to me. _Please_ don't lie to me anymore."

The Knight-Captain smiled as she leaned into his embrace and murmured back, "I promise I will never lie to you again, my love."

Sand groaned and rolled his eyes before turning away from the couple. "I swear," the grumbled, "there are no two greater fools in all the realms who deserve each other more."


End file.
